Sectional bracing element.



A. R. HODGES.

SECTIONAL BRACING ELEMENT.

APPLICATION 'mso 1511.23. 1911.

1,249,959. Panfa 1160.111912.

mmf. ywf/g/ ALLAN E; HoneEsyoE MEivrrfHIs,A `TENNESSEE, AssIGNoR or ONE-HALEN 'oNEus' 1A,

MGALLISTEE, or MEMPHIS,r TENNESSEE. y

sEC'rIoNAL BEACINQ ELEMENT.

ments,'of which the following is 'a specicatione v 1 I ThisV 'invention relates to Va sectionavlbrac` ing 'element-and moreparticularly to an 1m'- proved loose play kjoint for luse :in Vfthe con-cr nection of the lparts Vof such an element:

Where'heavy tensile or expanding stressesare yencountered in mechanical 'structi'ires,' it

is frequently necessary, and well understood`V` to be so', toconstruct the affectedl` part'sof such structures' whereby they will {hav-ea pr'ol nounced fmeasufr'e fof flexibility'fand to "or-f 'gilnze the constructionof which said parts are' elements whereby `their 'fleXibilityf will be effectively utilized'in thev development 'of a certain' capacity of 'eXpansionV or'str'e't'ch, whilef'at thefsame'tinie'the said parts' 'willi f be'adequately stayed or braced against coun`v ter stresses.- `This-is strikingly illustrated in the case-of locomotive boilers where the'fireboxyouter shell, stay sheets'ior radialfstays,4 back-head bracesfbelly `vbraces and various other partsV are -subjectto the 'stresses` incil* 30 dentto great heat "and steam pressure and mustl have sufficient flexibility vto renden these stresses' withoutv destructiveV elect. 9* It;

is also illustrated in"loadcarryingorfre sisting structures, for eXamp'ley'bridge's 'and in Vmr'iousothe'r mechanical fields.

The present invention 'proposes a `ioint as a part of a sectional bracing element whichwill f permita certain measure of free expansion or yield ofthe'raffectedfparts', 'and duringsuch" free expansion, the loose playof the Jointis taken up, afterwhi'ch ythe-sections of the bracing element'pull against one another whereby f said' elements will resis't,'though"not{neces- 'sarily prevent, further' expansion oryield of the affected parts and Vwill-stay or bracesaid partsl yduring theinfurther eXpanslony v'or which,ivvhle permitting:all f requisite loose f3 ohjectsof the invention are I* to provider a loose1 play Ijoint =forfuse as stated which sli'allzbe of exceedingly simple Structural character, vshall enable the Isec-l piay, either? ingitudiriany, 01-bth-1ngiwij dlIlally aundflaterally, shallinsure thefeffecl' tlve'upulling action of said sections against speificati'onbfLettersPettit; i Patente-(liberali,'1917;' Appn'ation-'mea February 23,1 9179 seriaiNo; '150,5175 A i i one another, which shallbeof great strength;y 'i

which cannot possiblybe accidentally disengaged or `rendered-ineifective, and whichNv may be--located at l:any desiredl part of theyl either Vof them between the-ends Tof said element and .the-parts, whi'c'hfsaid element connect's.` 1

bracing element, and may be; independent in--,y itslocation'andaction of the connections or,"

A-n embodiment Y of the invention' is: illus- Y tratedf 1n, the accompanying. drav'vings,v

Figure 1' is plan lVieW` showingthe-sec tionsI of -a bracing;element,` in'connectedv retures" of the invention are incorporated f'FigJ 3 is -affside elevation showing-the lation-by mean-sof a joint in which the feamanner of-itting or connecting the sectionst i -of thev bracngelementtoone another; e

' side-'fand endiviewsofI 'one of thepsejctions of;

the lbracing, element and a member .f of the .jointcarried-thereby- Similar-*characterslof reference designate views.V

set forth. j

Tl'ieysections ofthe brace are designated'.

l andv 2 andthe improved', joint comprise s interengaging and vinterlockingv parts associ.- ated; with said respective sections and, which, f are preferably.similar-yin construction; Inv the'embo Climent disclosed andwhich, .asnow considerechis preferred, each elementof the joint comprises a hookfB havingpara'llel fort. a

substantiallyparallel legs 4 and- 5 and' bow 6 connecting said'legs.. The legs 4' are connected,zintegrally or otherwise, tothe;

section k'of-"the bracingnelement from which,v they-project; arein vco-planar relationto, 'said` Y' ioo y sections or in a plane parallel or substanf tially parallel to extensions of the planes of said sections; and each leg 5 is provided with a co-planar or substantially co-planar reduced terminal lug 7 for which the bow of the other joint element is provided with an opening 8. The spacing of the legs fand 5 of each joint element is selected whereby the le@ 5 "of the companion joint element may have a loose, though not too loose, sliding iit between them or, stated otherwise, whereby'the hooks 3 may be slidably interengaged. In normal relation the terminal lug 7 of one hook projects loosely through the opening 8 in the bow of the other hook and thereby achieves its function of limiting the transverse relative displacement of said hooks and preventing their disengagement by a relative transverse movement thereof. Where only longitudinal play of the sections l and 2 is required the width of the opening 8 will be only suflicient to permit free longitudinal sliding movement therein of the lug 7 but where both lateral and longitudinal play of the sections l and 2 are required the width of the opening 8 will be sufficient to permit the lug 7 to -slide laterextent. As shown, the opening 8 isV somewhat wider than the lug 7 whereby said lug will have a certain measure of lateral or transverse play in said opening.

lVhether the lege be coplanar with or offset from the section of the bracing elementby which it is carried its length "will be sufficient to enable the engagement of. the hooks 3 in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 2. The preferred manner of organizing the brace is, first, to move the sections l and 2 and with them the hooks B laterally rela-v tively to one another, whereby the leg 5 and lug 7 of each hook enter and slide transversely between the legs 4 and 5 of the companion hook, this movement being continuedv until the lugs 7 aline with the openings 8 and then to pull the sections 1 and 2 relatively outward whereby the lugs 7 will pass through the openings V8. organizing the brace enables its parts to be ittedin relatively narrow or inaccessible spaces.

In connecting respective partsbetween which the brace element extends the total length of the brace element is selected to provide for the re quired measure of longitudinal play between the hooks 3 whereby the brace element will permit afree relative expansion or outward movement'of the parts which it connects before the ends of the legs 4 contact with the bows 6 which said legs confront.`

During such ,free expansion or relative outwardA movement of the parts which the brace element connects the loose play of the hooks 3 is taken up whereupon the ends of the legs This manner of the sections l and 2 to the 4L will contact with the bows 6 and the secl one another in the further expansion or relative outwaid-inoveine-iit of the parts which the brace element connects, thereby staying or bracing saidv parts and resisting their further expansion which, however, the brace element does not necessarily prevent until a limit, selected with regard to the limit of expansion or outward movement compatible with serviceability, has been reached.

The contraction or relative inward movement ofthe parts which are connected by the brace element is, of course, not resisted by said eleinentand is effective to restore its sections and the hooks 3 to their normal re latio-ii wherein there is a determined measure of loose play between said hooks, as above explained.

It is to be observed that the length of the ment of use and is,` in any case, suiiicient to prevent the disengagement of said lug from the opening 8 when the limit of contraction or relative inward movement of thev parts vconnected by the brace has been reached.

Where the two parts of the joints are .lug 7 is selectedwith regard to the environ- Y ally or transversely through the necessary duplicates as' in the Construction .diSClQSedi 95 Further advantagesin the contemplationV v f r tions between the ends of the brace memberl and the adjacent parts whereby the brace member may be stripped from the structure. l

of which itforms a part without affecting the joint of its sections and, hence, without impairing its capacity for re-iise. l j

While the invention has been described with reference to an embodiment which as now considered is preferred, it will be understood that structural. variations may be resorted to within the .legitimate scope of the .invention and of the appended claims.

I claim as my inventione l. A loose play joint for a sectional brace element comprising a pair of hooks, one tobe carried by .each section of said element, said hooks being engageable one with the other by alrelative transverse movement and means operative upon a longitudinal inward movement of said hooks when engaged to prevent their disengagement by a relative transverse movement, said means being effeet-iveV for its purpose during a4 certainY measure of normal loose longitudinal play of saidy hooks relative to one another.

2. A loose play joint for a sectional brace i element comprising a pair of hooks, one t0v riesigem;

i betfcarried byflfeaehifsection oit saidf'elemena gaged to coperate'wvvithYC 1sai'dfcom-panion hook in preventing#ithedisengagement of saidliooks by a relative transversemovement, said means'being effective for-"its purose during a certain measure of normal oose longitudinal play of said hooks relative to one another.

3. A loose play joint for a sectional brace element comprising a pair of counterpart hooks, one to be carried by each section of said element, said hooks being engageable one with the other by a relative transverse movement and the leg oi each hook'whichV {it-s between the legs of the companionL hook having a reduced terminal lug for which the bow of said companion. hookv is provided with an opening, said lugs being engageable through said openings by a longitudinal in- Ward movement of said hooks when engaged and being eective through a certain range of normal loose longitudinal play to prevent the disengagement of said hooks by a rela-4 tive transverse movement thereof.

4. A loose play joint for a sectional brace element comprising a pair of hooks, one to be carried bv each section of said element, said hooks being engageable one With the other by a relative transverse movement and means operative upon a longitudinal inward movement of said hooks when engaged to prevent their disengagement by a relative transverse movement, said'means being efective for its purpose during a certain measure of normal loose longitudinal play of said hooks relative to one anothery and while thus effective permitting a certain measure of loose transverse play of said hooks relative to one another.

5. A loose play joint for a sectional brace element comprising a pair of counterpart hooks, one to be carried by each section of said element, said hooks being engageable one with the other by a relative transverse movement and the leg of each hook which lits between the legs of the companion hook having a reduced terminal lug for which the bow of said companion hook is provided with an opening, said lugs being engageable through said openings by a vlongitudinal inward movement of said hooks when engaged and being effective through a certain range of normal loose longitudinal play to prevent the disengagement of said hooks by a relative transverse movement thereof, said openings being suliiciently wider than said lugs to permit said hooks to have a certain measure of loose transverse pla-y relative to one another.

Yhooks `f'whileklimiting their ,relative transure of longitudinal loose play.

tAiloo'seplayfjointlferiaifsectional brace element@ comprising a :pairfot engaged hooks adapted@` to islide longitudinally onel -on the otherrand means fe'fectiveto-tpermit anormal measure of sloose'` f longitudinal play :of:` said 70 verse displacement.: n

7 Al looseE playajoi'nt fon iasection-altbrface element comprising yaapalir of engagedehooks adapted to slidelongitudinally one on the otherwand projecting terminal means carried *by one hook for coperation with the other hook to limit the relative transverse displacement of said hooks while permitting a certain normal measure of loose longitudinal play thereof.

8. A loose play joint for a sectional brace element comprising a pair of counterpart companion members adapted for interlocking engagement and for longitudinal play v in such engagement, each member having a i terminal lug and an opening to receive the terminal lug of the companion member, the said terminal lug being longitudinally movable in said opening and serving to limit the relative transverse displacement of said members.

9. A loose play joint for a sectional,v brace element comprising a pair of members adapted for interlocking engagement, said members having their interlocking engagement established by an initial transverse sliding movement and by a subsequent 1ongitudinal slidingmovement relative to one another, said joint having means operative in the engaged relation of said members for Y permitting longitudinal play thereof in such engaged relation and for limiting their transverse play.

10. A loose play joint fora sectional brace element comprising a pair 'of members adapted for interlocking engagement, said members having their interlocking engagement established by an initial transverse sliding movement and by a subsequent longitudinal sliding movement relative to one another, one of the members having a pro-v jecting lugand the other member having an opening through' which said lug projects in the engaged relation of said members, said 1154 lug when projecting through said opening permitting longitudinal play of said members in their engaged relation and limiting having its elements associated with the vre. 1,25 i' l spective members and operative in the interlockingly engaged relation of said members for limiting their relative transverse disv placement while permitting a certain meas- 12. A loose play joint for a sectional brace element comprising a pair of hook members adapted to be engaged one With the other, the outer legof each hook member fitting, in the engaged relation of the members, between the legs of the companion hook member, and al lug Carried by one of the hook members, the other hook member having Aen opening .in which said leg fits in the engaged relation of the members vt0 limit their l0 nesses. A l

Y ALLAN R. HODGES. Witnesses:

- JOHN S. TOWERS,

JOHN L. FLETCHER.= v

,Genies of this patent may be obtained for :ave cents each, by addressing the'tpmmissibner of Patente,

y Weehngton, D. C. 

